New photo released of suspect in Queens subway hammer attack

NEW YORK - Police in New York are still investigating a horrific subway attack that left a woman in critical condition with a fractured skull.

The NYPD says it happened at the Queens Plaza ‘E,M,R’ subway station in Long Island City on Thursday.

The victim, 57-year-old Nina Rothschild, a senior scientist for the NYC Health Department, had just left work and was entering the subway station just before 11:30 p.m. when a man approached her from behind and kicked her down the stairs.

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He pulled out a hammer and started smashing her in the head until she collapsed.  He then took her purse and then went back up the stairs and took off southbound on Queens Plaza South.

Rothschild suffered a fractured skull and lacerations to her head. EMS rushed her to NY-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she is listed as being in critical condition.

The attacker is described as a male, who wore a black hooded coat, a black mask, blue jeans, black shoes, and he carried a cane.

Police released an additional photo of the suspect on Saturday afternoon. 

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

Police say all calls are strictly confidential.